The use of handheld electronic computing devices, such as smartphones, is prevalent in today's society, to the extent that users often grip their smartphones while performing other tasks. In general, the typically-rectangular shape of such devices allows a user to securely grip such a device with a one hand while accessing the device's touch screen with the other hand. However, the rectangular shape of such devices may create difficulty when the user desires to access the device's touch screen with the same hand that the user is using to grip the device or when performing other tasks. Similarly, if a user is moving about and holding the portable computing device in one hand, it can be unwieldy to manipulate and rotate the portable computing device, particularly while attempting to perform other tasks at the same time.
This difficulty presents a risk that the user may fumble the device, lose control of it and drop it, and often results in users damaging their devices. Therefore, a user may not easily operate such a handheld device with one hand, even when securely gripping the device with the fingers.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus for enabling a user to securely and comfortably hold such portable electronic devices with a single hand while allowing greater range of movement of the user's fingers while holding the device.
Some apparatus that allow portable or handheld electronic devices to be held securely by one hand of a user currently exist in the marketplace.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,567 to Myers describes a button with an adhesive flat back surface for attachment to a hand-held device and a leash extending from the button and terminating with a finger ring to be secured onto the hand of the user. The ring may be an extension of the leash, both a part of an elastic cord loop where the leash is secured within the button and the ring extends away from the button, and the leash may be retractable.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,098 to Karmatz describes a base to be affixed to a first surface of the handheld device, at least one extension extending from the base at a first end of the extension, and a grip extending from the at least one extension at a second end of the extension, wherein the grip is oriented substantially parallel to the first surface of the handheld device, and wherein the apparatus is adapted to receive a portion of at least one finger inserted between the grip and the handheld device.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,737,066 to Block describes a gripping device having a base element adapted to be attached to the portable electronic device, a gripping element shaped to be gripped by the user, and a flexible cord connected to the base element and to the gripping element, to be inserted between two of the user's fingers. The gripping device enables the user to hold the portable electronic device via the gripping device using just two fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,560,031 to Barnett et al. describes extending sockets, formed of an accordion with buttons attached at the distal ends, for attaching to a portable media player for protection of the player, managing a headset, attaching to belts, forming stand legs to prop the player at a desired angle, forming grips for gaming, forming grips for securely holding and manipulating player with one hand, and forming extended legs for wedging players that are phones between the ear and shoulder.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,565 to Cho describes a portable electronic device holder having a base plate having an adhesive pad to be attached to a rear surface of the portable electronic device; a ring to be placed on a finger of a user, and a connector is provided with the ring and fitted into a coupling hole of the base plate so that the holder is integrally coupled to a rear surface of the base plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,647,714 to Hirsch describes a flexible member that, at one end, extends through a hole in the back portion of the mobile device's case and is anchored to an interior surface of the back portion of the case and, at the other end, is coupled to a finger brace that is configured to brace a user's finger on each of its two opposed sides. The flexible member's length is such that two fingers of the user's hand can press against the finger brace to brace the mobile device when the two fingers are between the finger brace and the case.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0069512 to Grieve describes a device having a base plate to be mounted on and rotatable relative to a portable computing device, at least one finger support member, and at least one spacer element connected to the finger support member and to the base plate; wherein the finger support member is moveable between a closed position in which the finger support member is substantially flush with the base plate and an open position in which the finger support member is spaced from the base plate such that a user can insert at least one finger between the base plate and the finger support member.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0195000 to Srour describes two circular discs that are somewhat rotatable with respect to one another and are connected by a foldable cover that houses a spring that, when collapsed, pushes the discs away from each other while the foldable cover is semi-flexible. When the accessory is collapsed, the foldable cover folds over itself, whereas when the accessory is expanded, the foldable cover becomes unfolded with a smaller-circumference center ridge which is less flexible or non-flexible, and situated between two larger circumference areas. Flanges on the inner and outer rings abut each other, keeping the spring collapsed and discs locked into each other in some embodiments. When the rings are rotated with respect to one another, the flanges become unlocked and the spring separates the discs such that one or both of the foldable cover or spring become the limiting factor in how far apart the discs spread from another.
However, none of such arrangements solves all the needs of such an apparatus.
It is desirable to provide a gripping apparatus that is able to securely grip the user's fingers between the apparatus and the handheld electronic device and allow the user's fingers to comfortably fit around the gripping apparatus.
It is also desirable to provide a gripping apparatus that is able to allow the tightness of the apparatus's grip to be adjusted automatically, such as based upon the thickness of the user's fingers or the space between them, and not manually.
It is further desirable to provide a gripping apparatus into which a user can insert his/her fingers and grip the handheld electronic device with one hand.
It is still further desirable to provide a gripping apparatus that is able to be deployed when in use and to be closed and secured to the handheld electronic device, such as being locked, i.e., where the upper and lower elements are engaged with each other or secured into a low profile, when not in use.
It is even further desirable to provide a gripping apparatus that can be used as a variable-angle stand for angled display of the handheld electronic device when not being held by the user.
It is yet even further desirable to provide a gripping apparatus that can help mount the handheld electronic device to a support apparatus, such as a magnetic holder.
There is a continued need to address at least some of the issues mentioned above.